I have debt which if I follow my plan should be paid off in two years (except for one huge student loan and my mortgage). I contribute to my work 401k plan. That money would be helpful to put towards my debt however I am also 62 and would like to retire in 2023. Am I doing the right thing in continuing with the 401k, or because I only have 25k in the 401k, should I stop and use the money towards the debt?

I have a rental duplex and it is underwater, owe about 85,000 worth about half that much. At 65 I am thinking about walking away because it is getting too costly to maintain. Detroit is in crisis and I don’t feel safe going there for rents. I spoke to my mortgage company and they stated they couldn’t help me under the President new laws for rental property. I am concern about my credit if I walk away, even at my age. When you are not rich you need good credit.

Compare debt settlement vs. debt consolidation programs as they have differences between the two. One or the other may be a better option for you and your family, and it depends on your personal financial situation. Get information about the pros and cons of these two approaches. Read tips on which option may be the best option for you and your situation. Compare debt settlement and consolidation.
Finding debt relief means that you identify a solution that minimizes the burden of debt repayment. The goal is to reduce or eliminate interest charges and fees so you can pay off your debt faster. In many cases, you can pay less each month and still get out of debt faster than with traditional payments. Essentially, you find a better way to pay back what you owe that works for your finances.

Hi. We have about $45k in debt , 10 of which is a trailer loan. Daughter is in first year of college. If I decide to see a credit counselor would it hurt her chances of getting fafsa ??? Loans in her name I believe because she is over 18, but we don’t want her owing a lot just coming out of college either, and we have a son graduating in a year as well. This has stressed me out to even thinking of claiming bankruptcy but I’m not going to go to that extreme…..help!! Suggestions? Owe $300k on house, own all cars.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, Inc. - Consult with a specialist for free/low cost, and most importantly, confidential advice. They will help you get out of debt, find resources to pay bills, and offer budgeting advice as well which can lead to long term self-sufficiency. They are also a federal government HUD certified housing agency.
Make sure you are working with an NFCC-member nonprofit credit counseling agency like InCharge Debt Solutions. Nonprofit credit counselors provide impartial financial advice that has your best interest in mind. A nonprofit debt management program will have low fees and work to secure interest rate reductions on your credit card debt, so that you are able to pay off your debt by making consistent affordable payments.
Look for a licensed, accredited, non-profit agency, and be sure to verify that they are currently licensed in your state (unless you're in a state that doesn't require licensing), have current accreditation and that they do indeed have non-profit status. Understand, however, that while these measures can help establish a firm's legitimacy, they are no guarantee, and you still need to research the agency. Note also that a non-profit company does not mean that they do not charge for their services, it only means that the company will distribute all profits to the corporate officers at the fiscal year end, thereby zeroing their profit.
The Chase Slate card, on the other hand, doesn’t charge a balance transfer fee for the first 60 days. Further, the card offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases for the first 15 months. If you have a credit card balance you could feasibly pay off during that time frame, transferring the balance to a 0% introductory APR card like this one could save you money on interest while simultaneously helping you pay down debt faster.
Discipline yourself to make regular payments on your debts, prioritizing your smallest debt to make early wins in eliminating debts. Automate those debt payments, so it doesn’t just rely on discipline. Discipline will fail you sooner or later, so the more you can automate “good financial behaviors” like paying down debts and saving money, the more likely you are to sustain them.
Compare debt settlement vs. debt consolidation programs as they have differences between the two. One or the other may be a better option for you and your family, and it depends on your personal financial situation. Get information about the pros and cons of these two approaches. Read tips on which option may be the best option for you and your situation. Compare debt settlement and consolidation.
Instead of diving into debt settlement, a better option might be to talk to a nonprofit credit counselor. Credit counseling organizations can help you better understand tactics for managing and reducing your debt, including creating and following a budget. Credit counseling may not have the negative impact of debt settlement (though if you choose a Debt Management Plan, it could appear on your credit report).

With debt management, you’re also paying for something you can do yourself. Even if you have tarnished credit, you may be able to get a debt consolidation loan yourself and pay off your debt without the aid of a debt management company. You can also try to negotiate lower interest rates and payments with your creditors on your own. But either solution would require more self-control than debt management, since the burden would be completely on you to stop acquiring new debt.

Instead of diving into debt settlement, a better option might be to talk to a nonprofit credit counselor. Credit counseling organizations can help you better understand tactics for managing and reducing your debt, including creating and following a budget. Credit counseling may not have the negative impact of debt settlement (though if you choose a Debt Management Plan, it could appear on your credit report).
Don’t be afraid to have many budget categories. It will help you have a greater understanding of where things are going. Some regular expenses include internet, cell phone, household goods, medical costs, pets, haircuts, car repair, and home repair. Not every item will have an expense every month, but by setting some money aside for those irregular expenses, you’ll be ready when they hit.

For many consumers who realize "I need help with my debt" and who come to us with questions like "How do I manage credit card debt more effectively," we often suggest a debt management program. Under this approach, you'll make one payment each month to us and we'll pay all your creditors for you. This ensures timely payments, simplifies your finances and lets us work with your creditors to reduce interest rates and finance charges.

You didn’t get into debt quickly, and you won’t get out of debt quickly. If you aren’t willing to devote three to five years to wipe out your credit card debt, then you might as well hire a attorney and file for bankruptcy, Ulzheimer says. Just keep in mind that hiring a bankruptcy attorney is expensive, and a bankruptcy will stay on your credit record for seven or 10 years (depending on the type of bankruptcy).

A debt-settlement firm is typically a private company that works to settle your debt with a creditor. They may charge fees upfront and promise to help you pay off debt. Beware of debt settlement companies, and if you’re unsure of the difference between a debt settlement company and credit counselor, review this chart by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
I had credit card debt and I used Credit Advocates to help with the solution. Now that I am at the end of paying off the debt I just wanted to cry when I saw how much I was charged in fees – it was a fee for everything including phone calls made for me. At least between a forth and half of the monies sent went to them. If I had it to do over again I would call the credit card companies and try to repay the lesser amount over time. It seems to me that the companies that say they can help are only there to take your monies at a very high rate of fees, etc.
Hm, feel free to email me if you like, but here are a few questions/suggestions. What have you been living on while waiting? And how much are you allowed to earn above disability? While it can definitely be very tough to work while disabled, sometimes it is possible, and there are flexible ways to earn. (For example, blogging, although that’s not a quick way to do so.) I suggest brainstorming ways to bring in more and also ways to cut expenses, such as maybe getting a roommate or two to reduce your basic costs for housing & day-to-day living.
YP - The Real Yellow PagesSM - helps you find the right local businesses to meet your specific needs. Search results are sorted by a combination of factors to give you a set of choices in response to your search criteria. These factors are similar to those you might use to determine which business to select from a local Yellow Pages directory, including proximity to where you are searching, expertise in the specific services or products you need, and comprehensive business information to help evaluate a business's suitability for you. “Preferred” listings, or those with featured website buttons, indicate YP advertisers who directly provide information about their businesses to help consumers make more informed buying decisions. YP advertisers receive higher placement in the default ordering of search results and may appear in sponsored listings on the top, side, or bottom of the search results page.
Those who enroll make monthly deposits with a credit counseling organization, which then is used to pay the debts according to a predetermined payment schedule developed by the counselor and creditors. Your monthly payment is tailored to what the customer can afford, and you know before agreeing to take part in the program what that monthly amount is. An analysis of household income vs. expenditures determines the monthly payment.